18U Softball

  1. Rules
  2. 18U Softball

 

Rules governing Junior Varsity Softball will be ASA Official Modified Fast Pitch Softball Rules with the following exceptions:

EQUIPMENT

  1. All players must wear baseball pants, sweatpants, long pants, or other baseball-pant length bottoms.
  2. Players cannot wear any type of jewelry during games.
  3. All catchers must wear a protective cap made of the same material and padding approved for the batter’s helmet, as well as a mask and chest protector.
  4. The batter must use a bat that is marked “Official Softball” or has “ASA approved” on the bat. No bat larger than 2 ½ inches in diameter will be allowed. No bat longer than 34 inches will be allowed.

GENERAL

  1. A full game will be 6 innings or 105 minutes.
  2. A full team will be 10 players. A team may play with 7 players without having to forfeit.
  3. Each player present at the game and eligible to play will be in the batting order. Players may be substituted freely on defense.
  4. All players will bat in rotation.
  5. All players will bat and play at least two innings.
  6. No batter limit shall be imposed. Three (3) outs must be earned.
  7. The catcher shall not be required to catch the third strike, except for a foul tip. The batter shall be out and the ball shall remain in play, and base runners shall advance at their own risk.
  8. If time permits during the regular season, and for all tournament games, the Junior Olympic tiebreaker rule will be in effect for any game that goes into extra innings.
  9. The infield fly rule will be called at all games.
  10. Bunting will be allowed.
  11. Modified fast pitch Pitching:
    1. The Pitcher must:
      • Must start with both feet on the rubber
      • Have their hips and shoulders fully square to home plate.
      • Start the backswing directly out of the paused position.
      • Take the ball behind the back, outwards (within reason), or over the head during the back-swing.
      • There is no limit to the height of the back-swing.
      • Lift their front foot off the ground.
      • Slide or drag the pivot foot, so long as it remains in constant contact with the pitching rubber.
    2. The Pitcher MAY NOT:
      • Use a “windmill” motion. (In a windmill motion, the backswing and delivery are in one continuous circular motion.)
      • Use an obvious “slingshot” motion – bending the elbow AND rotating the body significantly towards first or third base. All pitchers bend their elbows and turn their bodies to some extent. In an illegal slingshot, these movements are very pronounced so as to allow the pitcher to “whip” the ball around.
  12. There is no limit on the number of innings a pitcher may pitch in any game or week.
  13. The strike zone shall be the standard modified fast pitch strike zone. (Batter’s armpits to knees). Because it is modified fast pitch, there is no arc limit.
  14. Any uncaught foul on the third strike shall be declared a dead ball, the count will remain the same and the batter shall continue to bat until the pitch is put into play or missed on a swing.
  15. If a batter is hit by a pitch, she must make an attempt to avoid being hit (judgement is made by the umpire) in order to be granted 1st base, otherwise a ball is called and play resumes.
  16. Base stealing will be allowed once the ball reaches home plate. All runners shall remain in contact with their bases until the pitch has reached home plate. If a runner leaves the base before the pitch reaches home plate, the runner shall be declared out and the play declared out and the play declare no pitch. The ball is dead. All other runners shall return to bases occupied at the time of the pitch. The count on the batter returns to what it was before the runner left the base.
  17. The batting order may not be changed once the game starts. A player who arrives to the game late may be placed at the end of the batting order. That player must bat in the spot even if one or more possible turns at bat have been missed.
  18. Courtesy runners may only be used when a player is injured as a batter-runner or runner. The courtesy runner should come from:
    • Any player who will not bat that inning due to the batter limit rule.
    • Any player who has already batted that inning and is no longer a base runner.
    • Or, in extreme cases, any player who will not jeopardize their time at bat by use as a courtesy runner.